The death of Juice WRLD marks yet another loss in the music community. While fans of the artist flocked toward the legacy he left behind, a bigger issue lies in his absence.
After suffering from a seizure, news broke that Juice WRLD, aka Jarad Higgins, had swallowed a large amount of the prescription drug Percocet. A drug commonly known as oxycodone, it has been a large problem in the opioid crisis. On December 8, Midway International Airport transferred him to a hospital before he died.
Higgin’s death may have come as a surprise to many of his avid fans, adding him to a list of many young artists ending their careers early from avoidable deaths. In 2017, another artist named Lil Peep died from a drug overdose. Artists like Tekashi 6ix9ine and YNW Melly are currently facing lengthy prison for their crimes.
This generation of artists having their careers ending short only propagates the dangers of drugs and violence in the music community. These artists had their lifestyle become their own downfall. In his hit song “Lucid Dreams,” Higgins sings, “I take prescriptions to make me feel a-okay.” Senior Krisham Prasai began listening to Higgins in the beginning of his career. “His death isn’t very surprising due to the amount of times he references it in his own music,” he said.
Drugs have long been associated with hip hop music, but it has recently spiked in the younger generations. Commonly known as SoundCloud rappers, these artists use the public music platform to get their starts. While some stray away from the stereotype associated with the SoundCloud rappers, many use drugs and violence as their main motifs in their music.
Higgins also began his career on the music platform. “A lot of his music talks about using drugs as an escape from reality,” said Prasai. However, his catchy beats overshadowed the issue at hand.
Higgin’s music was merely a reflection of his lifestyle. While his death was an unfortunate one, others rappers may view this as a wake up call. Junior Ani Pradeep was shocked to hear about Juice WRLD’s death. “A lot of rappers talk about drugs but you don’t see the effects of it until it’s too late,” said Pradeep.
